In the present, Jouvir bowed deeply to Yory, momentarily setting aside his pain. "My deepest apologies, my lord. I meant no disrespect…"

Yory replied, "Your name is Jouvir, if I recall correctly. Who did this to you?"

Still bowing, Jouvir replied, "It’s entirely my fault, my lord. I'm in dire financial straits and tried to coerce a merchant into lending me money through a contract…"

Yory interrupted him, "Jouvir, are you tarnishing the reputation of the demon race with such actions?"

Jouvir's eyes widened, and he hastily added, "No, your Highness, I am truly sorry..."

Yory cut him off again, "Are you denying it?"

Jouvir bowed to the ground, expressing remorse, "I accept any punishment, my lord."

Yory sighed. "Never consider such actions again. It’s not about what humans think—I care little for their opinions. It’s about how we present ourselves to other races. Dwarves excel in architectural sciences, elves in combat arts, witches in dark magic, and ghouls in sheer strength. And yet, we have a demon resorting to theft from humans!"

Jouvir, still bowing on the ground, murmured, "I have nothing more to say, my king."

Yory looked at him and sighed, "Get up, Jouvir."

Jouvir stood, but he avoided meeting Yory's gaze.

Yory continued, "Rebuild your reputation, Jouvir. Be a virtuous man and a remarkable adventurer, not just a common bandit. Show them that through diligence, we are superior to all of them combined. Do you understand?"

Jouvir bowed to Yory, "Yes, my king, I will make you proud."

Yory responded, "I am no longer your king, Jouvir, just a humble merchant."

Jouvir smiled and corrected himself, "Of course, my sir."

Yory smiled as well, "It will take some time to adjust, but you will get used to it. Now, it's time to leave this city."

Jouvir eagerly offered, "I can accompany you, sir. I’ll protect you and…"

Yory interrupted him, "No."

Instantly, Jouvir bowed and said, "Of course, sir. I wish you the best."

Yory replied, "I became a merchant to experience and embrace life with all its ups and downs. I needed something to fulfil my life, and you should too. You became an adventurer because that's what you chose and what fulfils your life. I won't order you to follow me around; you've done that once, and that's enough."

Jouvir was content to hear these words. After that, they shook hands and parted ways. Yory headed toward his cart and noticed Joe, who was clutching his head. Yory inquired, "Did any adventurer give you trouble?"

Joe grinned and said, "Nothing I couldn't handle. Just a foolish demon who attempted to steal money from me. I had some holy water and a hefty rock I found, so I confronted him behind the carts there."

Yory smiled and remarked, "You mean that demon with a bloodied head over there? He was crying and cursing in ways even the ancients wouldn't understand, hahahahaha."

Joe chuckled, "Yes, that's the one, hahahahaha."

Yory chuckled, thinking, "Oh, Jouvir, you've crossed paths with the wrong merchant."

The next morning, Yory and Joe departed from Undvik City, heading toward their destination, known as Cerulea City. It was renowned for its weapons, especially magical ones, but the city's appeal extended beyond the battlefield. It boasted a bustling gold market and presented a risky yet rewarding venture.

While Yory reviewed some documents provided by Avilyn, Joe read newspapers he’d picked up from the guild in Undvik City. There was something off about Joe; he appeared angry, as if he were on the brink of exploding, but kept it in check. Yory noticed but remained silent, knowing that Joe's emotions and actions were not his concern.

An hour later, near Tryx Mountain, which lay south of the road leading to Cerulea City, a striking woman emerged. She possessed long black hair, fair skin, and captivating orange eyes. Her attire was traditional, adorned with a blue dragon emblem on her right side. Her nails featured black and red hues. She addressed a large creature before her, saying, "My little toy, you are ready."

The massive creature was a dragon, though something about it seemed off. Its skin was pale despite being red, its eyes appeared empty despite being black, and its breathing was nearly imperceptible. The dragon took flight toward its destination.

After a day of travel, Yory remarked, "So, according to this information, this is Marys village."

Joe responded, "A small, bothersome village. Watch your back, Yory."

Yory asked, "So, no fondness for this village, Joe?"

Joe replied, "My first experience here was dreadful, Yory. Don't trust anyone, you understand?"

Yory nodded and both of them brought their cart near the inn. Upon arrival, a beautiful young lady with blond hair greeted Joe, casting an intrigued glance at Yory. She inquired, "Who's this handsome gentleman with you, lad? Are you single?"

Joe replied curtly, "Lofana, give us two rooms, and I want the ones on the second floor. Now, move."

Lofana frowned at Joe and sighed, "Joe Gostave, do you think you're some kind of justice hero or something? I was just teasing your friend."

Yory finally understood and said, "Now I get it, Joe."

Lofana reassured them, "No worries, lads. My father's inside, and he'll take care of you."

Joe and Yory entered the inn, and the owner, Lod, greeted them, saying, "Joe Gostave, what brings you here, my friend?"

Joe grumbled, "Lod, I'm not your friend. Just give me two rooms on the second floor."

Lod grinned slyly, "For you, Joe, it's 6 silver coins for tonight. And for your sickly-looking friend, it's one gold coin because I don't know him."

Joe handed Lod two silver coins and said, "That should be enough for two of us."

Lod became irate, muttering, "Two silver coins!? Are you..."

Joe cut him off, "In this rundown place, I know you, Lod. I'll never pay more than this. And if we were friends, why haven't you returned the money you owe me for three years now?"

Lod said while wiping his forehead from the sweat, "I told you that I am working on it, so please be a little more patient. Besides, I offered you the chance to marry my sunshine, Lofana, but you refused. Why?"

Yory laughed, and Joe shouted, "You idiot! Your sunshine is a thief, just like your other useless kids, and especially YOU!"

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Lod tried to defend his honour, but Joe and Yory had already gone up to their rooms. When they reached the second floor, a small kid bumped into Yory and said, "Sorry, sir. Have a good day."

The kid continued walking, looking annoyed, but Yory stopped him and warned, "Kid, if you ever try to steal from me again, I will break every bone in your arm. Understand?" The frightened kid quickly ran away, yelling for his father.

Lofana, who was walking with the laundry, noticed Yory's cart as she headed to the inn. She whistled and commented, "I bet there are expensive things there."

But suddenly, Joe shouted at her from the balcony of his room, "If I notice something is missing, you will be the first person I visit."

Lofana frowned and replied, "I'm not going to do anything. Be more trusting, Joe."

In Yory's room, he was reading Avilyn's documents and remarked, "There are many paths a merchant can follow in this kingdom to establish a business. That's amazing, but I shouldn't be surprised, considering that the one who provided me with this information is Avilyn, an educated and cultured person."

After a few hours, night fell, and Yory and Joe were eating soup in front of their cart outside, enjoying the pleasant and warm weather. Yory commented, "Summer is good for any new merchant, though perhaps spring might be better?"

Joe pondered for a moment and responded, "Every season has its advantages and disadvantages. I started in the winter, and after a few years, I realized it didn't really matter. You could be the son of a noble family and still lose your business if you're not careful."

Yory nodded, and they finished their dinner. After a while, Lod approached, looking angry, and said, "Joe, my dear friend, Lofana prepared a fantastic dinner for you. But when she found out you had already eaten, it broke her heart. Why, Joe, why?"

Joe washed his hands with some water and said, "Yory, let's call it a night. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

Yory agreed, and he got up to wash his hands, ignoring Lod, who was still visibly upset but eventually left.

Tomorrow morning, Yory stood in front of his cart, washing his face, while Joe searched inside the cart to ensure nothing was missing. Joe spoke up, saying, "My money and gold are here, and your products are here too, Yory. Go check your money to see if anything's missing."

Yory climbed into his cart to check his funds. Meanwhile, Joe noticed Lod and his daughter heading their way. Lod remarked, "See, Joe, I'm a good person now."

Joe responded dismissively, "I don't care. Keep your honesty and honour for someone who cares, like your daughter, for example."

Lod attempted to reply, but their conversation was interrupted by two arriving merchants at another gate of the village. Joe asked, "I saw you two lads leaving yesterday. Did something happen on the road?"

One of the merchants replied, "There was a wild dragon in Tryx Mountain, causing chaos in the forests."

Yory noted, "Tryx Mountain isn't far from our route."

Joe added, "Indeed, Yory. A wild dragon can quickly reach the road. If we encounter it, we'll be toast. It's better to wait until the adventurers or royal guards take care of it."

One of the merchants remarked, "Too bad, but that's the life of a merchant, right?"

Everyone nodded and returned to the inn. Lod offered, "Dinner is on me tonight."

In unison, everyone replied, "NO," and then they all returned to their rooms.

In the middle of the night, Yory left the inn and walked to his cart. He entered and took out a knife, making a small cut on himself. He began drawing a circle with ancient, unknown symbols. Once he completed the circle, he healed his wound and uttered, "məni əjdahaların padşahına, güclü və qüdrətli divided apayrto."

The circle began to glow, forming a large mirror, revealing the face of Divitry, the king of dragons. Divitry greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Yoranios Gyovani, the former demon king."

Yory nodded respectfully, replying, "My respects to you, Divitry, the great king of dragons."

Divitry inquired, "How can I assist you, Yoranios?"

Yory explained, "I'm a merchant now, so there's no political reason for this call, but I have a problem with a wild dragon in Tryx Mountain in the Renolva kingdom."

Divitry's expression displayed some confusion, but he remained composed, saying, "I can sense the presence of every dragon as their king, yet I do not sense any dragon in the Renolva kingdom, aside from a few I'm aware of."

Yory elaborated, "That's precisely the problem. I should be able to feel this dragon's presence, as I'm only a day away from it. But I don't sense anything."

Divitry stated, "I will look into it. I wish you a good night, Yoranios Gyovani." Yory nodded, and the glowing ceased. Afterwards, Yory erased the blood circle he had drawn and returned to his room.

Several hours later, at Tryx Mountain, the dragon pursued a group of adventurers who were attempting to slay it. The adventurers used mist magic to slow the dragon down and create an opportunity to escape, but their efforts proved futile as the dragon's massive wings easily dispelled the magic. One of the adventurers called out, "Mil, what should we do?"

Mil, the group's leader, observed the dragon closely, deep in thought. She finally said, "This isn't just any wild dragon. There's something off about it. But regardless, I must ensure my friends make it back to their families."

Making a swift decision, Mil instructed, "Gily, use your earth magic to hit its weak spot—his unprotected stomach."

Gily changed her course and sprinted towards the forest. Mil and the male adventurer, Tvar, unleashed fire magic, targeting the dragon's head. They yelled in unison, "HERE! HERE! You want us, you flying lizard? We're right here!"

The dragon pursued them as they sprinted away from the forest, launching fire that nearly engulfed Mil, but Tvar managed to save her in the nick of time. After a few moments of running, Mil noticed a fire signal coming from the forest where Gily was.

Mil signalled Tvar, who hurled another fireball at the dragon while shouting, "COME HERE, BOY! You won't catch us at that speed, you damned lizard!"

Mil and Tvar made their way toward the forest, and upon entering, Mil called out, "Let's get in!"

As the dragon continued to hover above the forest, searching for them, sharp, large rocks suddenly hurtled towards it. These rocks pierced the dragon's stomach, causing it to bleed profusely. Gily and Tvar rejoiced, but Mil, with a grave expression, noticed something troubling.

The dragon remained airborne, its stomach gushing blood like a fountain. Mil yelled, "LADS!!! It's still moving!!!"

Tvar and Gily raced alongside Mil, leaving the forest. Tvar suggested, "Why don't we hide in the forest?"

Mil replied while glancing back, "It would set the forest ablaze, and we'd be trapped. Our best chance is to use magic in this open area and split up to confuse it."

Gily questioned, "Why is the dragon chasing us with such a severe injury?"

Mil explained, "I've been suspicious from the start. This dragon didn't defend itself or attempt to evade our attacks. It even followed us into obvious traps. There's no doubt about it—it's a DEAD DRAGON!"

Tvar asked, "A DEAD DRAGON? How do we kill something that's already dead?"

Gily replied, "What keeps it alive is a high level of dark magic. If we had a light wizard with us, we could end it."

Tvar said, "That's why I suggested we let that nun from Cerulea city join us, but you refused, Mil!"

Mil defended her decision, saying, "I declined because I know some healing magic, and we didn't need a non-combatant slowing us down. I didn't anticipate our lives would depend on a useless nun!"

At that moment, Mil came to a halt and declared, "I know some healing magic, and it's considered light magic."

Without warning, Mil sprinted toward the dragon as Gily and Tvar shouted in alarm. Mil wore a determined smile and said, "I'm the leader, and it's my duty to get you both back to your families. Goodbye."

Mil used wind magic to propel Gily and Tvar towards the cliff's edge, causing both of them to tumble over. Facing the dragon alone, Mil boldly challenged, "It's just you and me, you flying lizard. Come on, your dinner is right here."

The dragon accelerated toward Mil, jaws agape, ready to devour her. Just meters away, Mil shouted, "Light magic: şəfalı işıq!" A radiant light radiated from Mil, scorching the dragon's face. Blinded, the dragon careened into the mountainside, smashing its forehead against the rugged rock.

Mil sighed with relief, but her elation was short-lived. The wounded dragon struggled to rise, blood streaming from its stomach and forehead, its left eye seemingly lost in the collision. Determined, the dragon managed to stand, and Mil sprinted away, pondering her next move in this dire situation.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "You're quite brave. Thank you for restraining him." When Mil turned to identify the speaker, she beheld Divitry, the king of dragons, sporting a warm smile. He appeared as a handsome man with a distinguished yet aged visage, crimson eyes, and long brown hair. His regal attire befitted a true monarch.

Mil exclaimed, "He's a dangerous creature, a dead dragon!"

One of the two individuals accompanying Divitry, with a smile, replied, "We're aware. It's time for you to go."

Mil resumed running, while Divitry gazed somberly at the deceased dragon. He spoke with a smile tinged with sorrow, "Is this him?"

The guard remained silent, but the other figure, Fern, the king's right-hand man, a tall man with short black hair adorned with numerous scars on his right arm and face, his azure eyes resembling the sky, donning black garments embellished with inscriptions denoting his high rank, and carrying a substantial sword inscribed with ancient text, responded in a melancholic tone, "Yes, my lord. He's Weaver."

Weaver, the deceased dragon, roared and began advancing towards Divitry. Meanwhile, Fern inquired, "My lord, are we returning his body to his family?"

Divitry, still watching Weaver, said, "No, that would break his family’s heart and mine to see him in that unholy state all the way to the castle."

The guard remained silent, while Fern's tears welled up as he lamented, "Oh, Weaver, so much time has passed, and we never stopped searching for you. Finally, we found you, old comrade."

As Weaver drew near, spewing fire, Divitry extended his hand, a tearful smile on his face. "Weaver, my old friend, I never thought I'd be the one to end your life. I’ll never forget you. I promise to grow stronger and protect our kingdom at any cost. I won’t let myself be weak."

At that moment, Divitry's hand released a massive purple light, causing a tremendous explosion that reduced the grassy field to ash, creating a vast crater where Weaver had been. Divitry lowered his hand, nodding to the guard, who bowed and approached the crater. After some time, the guard returned, holding a crystal.

He presented the crystal to Divitry with a bow, and Fern added, "This is Weaver's essence, my king."

Divitry accepted the crystal, wiped away his tears, and said, "Let's return Weaver to his family. They've been waiting."